To the unaware, the nightclub would have looked like a scene pulled from the realms of a battlefield. Scattered across hall floors, hallways, table and seat, and even down into the depths of the nest beneath were the many unmoving figures that were known as Chrysalis’ children, their fair female forms motionless where they had fallen. Common houseware and furniture that had possessed the ill fortune to be not safely stored away was found to have had havoc wreaked upon it, contents of food and beverage spilled and scattered until the miniature realm had more in common with the dwellings of hogs. If an unsuspecting soul were to stride in through the nightclub doors, it would have seemed the perfect aftermath of a gruesome slaughter. But even eyes can deceive, for a closer inspection would soon reveal the truth. An occasional joyous note would peal forth off a weary tongue, a contentedness so deep that it was almost impossible to endure. Wounds were not present upon any body, for this was drunkenness of spirit, an overwhelming force that had spilled over and turned body to incapacitation.

And for those who remained outside the queen’s private chambers, they were only victims of being too close to a brilliant, sapphic explosion that had not even been of their own making. Within their mother and ruler’s dwellings were the scenes of utter ecstasy, a once-tidy bedchamber turned to madness by the insatiable lustings of their newest love, given freedom and ability to fully unleash all her youthful cravings once more. Those who had been caught up in her wake had been left as little more than exhausted, fully pleasured heaps of feminine beauty, only the great Majesty of Lust able to fully withstand her new partner’s incredible thirst. Upon a bed not nearly large enough to sustain the incredible show that had transpired throughout the day prior lay three wearied forms, the last to finish and fall asleep after the long bout of delights that had overcome them all. The rest had taken to whatever comforts and safe bedding that had somehow remained unspoiled, the sheer excess of physical frivolity more than even the hearty could handle.

The two mighty women were accustomed to being light sleepers, their many years out in the wild places of the world teaching them to keep eyes and ears only half-closed. As one began to enter into the waking world so did the other, the two slowly rousing themselves to consciousness by mere accident. As Chrysalis realized she would indeed have to open her eyes, she found herself staring at the tussled heap of starlit hair that was Luna, turning about to face the world and catching sight of her sleepy-eyed spectator. A smile came and was shared between them, Chrysalis then bringing a finger to her lips in a plea for silence; the world about them was weary and peaceful, something that could remain a little longer even if they must depart it.

Luna nodded, slowly threading her way out from beneath the bedcovers and sliding over a long mess of blonde hair that was Applejack, nestled comfortably beside the moonlight princess just as they had been constantly throughout the night. Those fierce eyes of the beautiful warrior softened their glow and turned warm, she leaning down to place the gentlest of kisses upon that freckled cheek before heading towards the door and adorning herself in a bathrobe alongside Chrysalis.

“I’ve coffee in my office,” Chrysalis offered as soon as the door closed behind them. “It will take a moment, but if you’d like any…”

“Mph… that sounds lovely right about now,” Luna groaned, trying and failing to fully stretch out her soreness. She took a place beside her lover and let a hand fall from the waistline to Chrysalis’ bottom, content to remain there and continue fondling. “Lead the way?”

Chrysalis grinned and decided to match the offer, a kiss for Luna’s lips that spoke of her assent.

As the two slowly took to the morning, letting the smell of ground coffee brewing in the nearby pot, the air of contentment and affection between them was allowed to linger on in the dreamlike, contented state that only mornings could provide. The world was quiet and slow, no need or demand of immediacy to be found.

“Feeling any better, now that you’ve excised some of your demons?” Chrysalis asked of her newfound companion, slowly pouring a steaming mug of brew. “I think you pushed poor Applejack to her limit.”

“That was the most fun I’ve had in centuries,” Luna breathed happily. “You, Applejack, Rainbow… I could have ravished all of them at least three times over.”

“I don’t think Pinkie would have minded, if she hadn’t been so distracted by Rarity and Twilight,” Chrysalis remarked. “Besides, a pretty young blonde seemed to have kept you plenty distracted anyway. A farmgirl caught your eye, perhaps?”

Luna’s contented look turned all the more tender, the fiercely forged connection between her and the beautiful blonde having awoken something in them both. “She’s… how could I not love Applejack?” she whispered. “She was wonderful, in every way. I love them all, truly –how could I hope not to? But, there was just that little… spark. Something extra.”

Chrysalis smiled. “You certainly helped her come out of her shell. Applejack’s been the slowest to initiate of the girls, still a little hesitant- at least until you came along. Don’t feel too poorly if you share a special connection with her, all the girls tend to seek out one of us in particular when we’re in need. Or, at least if we need something specific. Heaven knows I go to Fluttershy for entirely different reasons than I do Rarity, and their bond is a strong one.”

Luna took a slow sip from her mug and seemed to ponder something. “How long have you all been like this?” she asked. “All seven of you together?”

Chrysalis sighed aloud. “Oh… about three months now, give or take,” she said. “I wish they were with me here permanently, but it’s unfortunately not a possible solution. The girls have duties to attend to just as I do; the weekends are when we usually have the free time.”

“That’s a long time for all of you to be in love,” Luna remarked. “Has it always been this strong?”

“Hmm… I’d say so. Perhaps less open, sometimes more tentative- but yes. What makes you ask?”

Luna took another long sip before taking time to answer. “Because,” she said slowly, “I know that I love you. I know that I love Applejack, that I love all those ladies. Yet I’ve only spent one day with them.”

Chrysalis paused. “Does… does that bother you?”

Luna barked out a short laugh. “I’ve got hickies all across my body from the most beautiful women in the world, good heavens no. But it’s… strange. Don’t you think it’s strange? I’ve only been here a short while, and yet I love them as though they were my brides.”

Chrysalis had never given thought to such a matter. She had never cared much for the reasons why they were so deeply bonded together, only that they were. She was content, and so were they- why worry about the reasons behind it? It had just never occurred to her. “Luna…”

“Yes, Chrissy?”

“How did you know I was here?” the darkened queen asked. “I know why the girls after Rarity discovered here without my knowledge, but you… I didn’t anticipate your arrival. What brought you to my door?”

Luna hesitated, her gaze faltering from its steady hold. “I was on the hunt for you. I had been for a while, actually.”

“To kill me?”

That… actually wasn’t the original intent. I only chose to strike because I’d thought you’d taken the girls captive- a preemptive thing.”

“So... what was your purpose, then?”

Luna looked at Chrysalis and bit her lip. “Chrys- Cadance is looking for you.”

Cadance,

I think I found her. A place called Canterlot Club, near the residential district of the city. You won’t be able to miss it.

Meet me here and we’ll see this done together. Make it fast, the situation may be worse than I had anticipated.

~Luna

She’d received the letter two days ago. Finally, after so long, Cadance had been able to read the news she’d been waiting for. She’d dreaded the moment, longed for it, and now its presence made her spirit burn. She would not rest until she had the answers she needed, even if getting them meant forcing them out of Chrysalis’ crushed throat.

Cadance had thought that she had escaped her suffering the day Twilight had come to find herself in the caverns beneath Canterlot, freeing her from the depths of an impenetrable prison. She had endured trials to see the job done, somehow undoing the chains that had been woven around her husband’s mind- a furious fixation that had left Chrysalis reeling and cast out the entirety of the horde from cityscape and out into the forgotten wilds. What had come that day had been glorious, so wondrously perfect that she had almost thought it was a dream come true.

She hadn’t suspected that the worst of that queen’s tortures would be lurking in the wings, waiting for defenses to falter before it made its mark. It had been a slow, subtle thing, a sneaking poison that had fooled her apt senses; until the moment it had struck, Cadance had never suspected anything was wrong. Now, almost a year later, she was alone in a train compartment, a late-night departure bringing her ever closer to the greatest, most heinous enemy she had ever faced. She can’t hope to overcome us both, Cadance repeated to herself, Luna and I are more than a match for her. And when we have her in our clutches, I’ll be able to get my answer- and finally find him again.

The darkened streets of the city offered no reprieve from her turmoil, fury and grief blending together and setting her mind to struggling. The pure-hearted Princess strode through as though in the midst of a funeral march, the depths of the black and utter lack of light from the night sky above seeming to magnify her mourning. She was here for a life lost, a future stolen out from under her very nose; there would be wrath before the sun rose.

When she came to the place where the Changelings had hidden their nest, it was all Cadance could do to hold back her bitter laughter. A strip club! A place of sex and titillation, as though this was somehow a proper means of concealment. Could there have been any greater a giveaway, a sign as to what might lie behind those darkened doors? Chrysalis was arrogant to assume no one would find her here- or worse, she wished to be found in the first place.

If that’s the case, then found she will be, Cadance decided. I will get my answers, even if it costs me my life. After all, after all that had transpired, she had come to wonder if it was even something she was afraid to lose.

The doors opened at her bidding, pushed aside by the force of her power. The darkened night became illuminated by soft light within, the depths of the dining hall floor spilling forth to the arriving princess. So little activity was there before her eyes, no skittering crawl of insectoid life wherever her eyes could see; this place was a well-hidden nest, a woven web of lies meant to deceive in totality. If she had wandered into this place unaware of the dangers that lurked beneath its surface, she might have been fooled herself by the loveliness of her new surroundings. But not even this well-crafted snare could mislead her now- all the more so when from the realms of the hallways further back strode a pair of tall royals, Luna and Chrysalis hand-in-hand as they walked out to meet their guest, unsuspecting of her arrival until that very moment.

Both queen and princess caught sight of Cadance and came to a standstill, their cheerful faces wiped clean to a state of surprise and unease at her unexpected presence. Cadance did the same and became like a statue, the sight of her most formidable foe now before her at last enough to overwhelm her already tumultuous emotions. There she was, no disguise or deception to hide from her searching eyes now.

Luna was the first to undo herself from the spell. “Cadance! You’re-”

“I was informed that you have been searching for me,” Chrysalis interjected, her calmer tone silencing the room and giving her a presence of authority. “Well, then… here I am. What need do you have of me?”

It wasn’t even a challenge. The tone was one of curiosity, genuine befuddlement behind the question. Chrysalis had known she was coming, but didn’t know why. Of course she didn’t, it was a secret Cadance had kept from everyone, even Luna. But now…

“Where is he?”

Chrysalis pulled a face at the remark. “I don’t understand. Where is who?”

There couldn’t have been anything on earth that could have stopped her, Cadance rushing forward with a speed tremendous and striking Chrysalis across the face, the unsuspecting queen left sprawling at the sheer weight behind the blow.

“Cadance!” Luna took to her new companion and held her fast, trying to prevent further violence from erupting. “Ease down, you’re safe here. It’s not what we thought it was-”

“Shining Armor! My husband! He’s been missing for a year now, he left to go find you! He said he didn’t love me and I know that’s because of you, and if you’re here so is he- where is he?!”

Chryalis didn’t have an answer to any of her new guest’s demands, stunned into silence by both word and fist. She looked at Cadance and saw immeasurable rage there upon those beautiful features, kept from explosion only by the hideous grief that dwelled within it. Cadance’s tears came hot and swift, she at last overwhelmed by the weight of her burden. It was a sight difficult to witness- and for Chrysalis, something unbearable.

A sudden rush from the hallways. “Your Majesty!” A flurry of movement that she knew to be hostile, Chrysalis’s gaze darting to a group of her children rushing to her aid with violence in mind-

“No!” She leapt to her feet and took place between Cadance and her onset of warriors, the barrier impenetrable. “No! She isn’t to be harmed, do not touch her!”

“Are you hurt-”

“Later! We have greater issues at hand.” Chrysalis wheeled about and focused on Cadance, that flawless face so marked by trails of tears that the darkened queen felt her heart cry out at the sight of it. She could not bear to see her like this, so desolate and alone. It was all Chrysalis could do to not rectify it immediately. “Cadance, what is happening? What did your husband do that would make you come look for me?”

Cadance, however, was now inconsolable, her grief washing away strength given by anger, unable to do more than weep in the face of the one who had unintentionally conquered her life.

She had to act now, though desperate was she to comfort this sweet princess and ignore the requirements of duty the crisis demanded of her “Luna, the Magnolia Lounge- your temporary quarters, take her there. Rarity won’t have removed everything yet, keep her there and look after her- and don’t leave her side!” As Luna struggled to heed the command and keep Cadance from further despair, the still-reeling queen began to seek out her next target, thoughts racing at lightning speed and denied her attempts to bring both mind and emotion under control once more. Cadance had managed only a piece of the story, but the sight of that beautiful woman so distraught had made Chrysalis’ heart tear; she needed a rational mindset to help offset the wild emotions of both she and Cadance, and only one person would be fit for such a task.

“Twilight? Twilight!” Chrysalis’ pleading call rang through the once-tranquil halls of the nightclub, seeking out the singular individual upon whom she relied. More and more she found her voice reaching a pitch crescendo, a panic threatening to explode within her stomach. Why was she so deeply affected by this? What had Cadance done to her-

“Chris- Chrysalis! What’s wrong?” Twilight appeared from somewhere behind her and came forward, her expression of curiosity descending to one of concern at the sight of her beloved’s obvious distress. “Your face-! Did someone strike you?”

“Cadance is here, I need your help,” Chrysalis said, rushing over to her young love and clutching her frame as though a lifeline. “She’s in a panic, I asked Luna to keep her under guard but she- something’s gone wrong with her-”

“And you’re panicking, too.” Twilight took Chrysalis’ wrists in her hands and held them tight. “Try to breathe, you’re shaking. Calm down, just… try and calm down.”

She truly wanted to comply with her beloved’s request, but the turmoil within and the next piece of news weren’t helping Chrysalis keep herself under control. “Your brother’s missing,” she said in a voice held tight, fearful that this new bombshell would crush the young woman’s spirit.

Twilight turned to stone, features and form held frozen. “What?”

“I don’t know what’s happened, I swear,” Chrysalis promised, hoping her words would be believed. “Cadance thinks I did something- I swear I don’t know what’s become of him, Twilight. I swear.”

The revelation left Twilight shaken, upset and now under pressure of keeping herself controlled; breath came in swiftly and left in controlled bursts, a wild look trying to be born in her eyes. But true to Twilight’s maturity, she regained a semblance of calm before opening her mouth once more. “Alright… then we need to find out. Where’s Cadance?”

“The Magnolia. Luna’s with her, she’s- distressed.”

Twilight nodded her assent of the statement but continued to stride down the hall towards their destination, hurried in her pace as she sought out their newest arrival with Chrysalis rushing to catch up. Neither were much used to the position they now found themselves in, their ever-unflappable queen now left rattled and distraught by Cadance’s own distress while Twilight’s more easily excitable passions now forcibly tranquil.

The elegant royal felt her heart twist for the both of them. Ever-helpful Twilight, her brilliant mind- and poor, sweet, beautiful Cadance…

A knock on the flower-marked door before entering; a murmured voice and footsteps made muffled before a creaking appearance of Luna’s face at the threshold. “She’s calmed down, but only just,” the proud princess whispered. “If you want to speak with her before I try to get her to sleep, now is the time.”

“Luna, did you know?” Twilight demanded.

The darkened princess shook her head. “She asked me to seek Chrys out; she never said why. If I’d known…”

“Then we need to know why,” Chrysalis said, spirit pleading to be alongside the anguished woman within. “Let’s make this quick.”

Cadance sat atop the bed in a huddled lump of misery, clearly having cried herself into an exhausted state. Whether Luna’s presence had been a surprise was unknown, nor did she give much heed to Twilight’s unannounced arrival. The weight of the poor woman’s distress had consumed her senses and turned her nigh-catatonic.

“Cadance, I need you to listen to me,” Chrysalis said, taking the beautiful woman’s hands in hers on instinct. “I am not your enemy. If there is something wrong, I want to help you. But I’m going to need you to tell me everything. Is that something you feel capable of right now?”

The crystalline princess’ despair kept further expression from her features, but her eyes did turn and focus themselves upon Chrysalis’ own pleading eyes. “Where is he?” she asked flatly.

“I swear to you I don’t know,” Chrysalis said. “But I’ll help you find him, I promise. Now… tell me what happened.”

Just how long had she been weighed down by such a burden? What sort of struggle had she endured to reach this point? Whatever answers could be found seemed to have pushed Cadance to a breaking point, willing to take aid from whomever offered. “He- he went looking for you,” she said, the words like a sword piercing her heart. “Shining behaved differently. After the wedding, it was like something in him was missing. He didn’t care about me, he was distant. I thought maybe it was just the trauma… but then he said he was leaving. That he wanted you instead, and- and then he left.” A new stream of tears slid out from beneath tightly bound eyelids as the memory struck against its mistress with unforgiving strength. “I haven’t seen him since.”

“How long has he been gone?” Chrysalis asked, though wishing she did not have to act as any semblance of a leader. She wanted to embrace Cadance, caress this sweet woman and see her tears fade into little more than memory. Why she felt this was a mystery, but it burned in her heart like fire, like it did for- Oh no.

“A year now,” Cadance whispered. “I asked Luna to seek you out, I thought he’d found where you’d gone.”

“A- Cadance, why didn’t you tell me- an entire year he’s been gone?” Twilight gasped. “Why didn’t you tell anyone, I would have helped in an instant. He’s my brother, for heaven’s sake!”

“Then we go searching again,” Luna said. “Twilight, you can accompany me if you wish-”

“Summon the Ravens,” Chrysalis interjected. “They’re my best scouts, and more eyes will help.” This period of empty activity had been the longest inactive state her Ravens had known in their lives; putting them on the trail of a missing person would be exactly what they would need to keep their skills sharp. Anything for Cadance…

“We’ll leave now, unless you have objections,” Luna whispered into Chrysalis’ ear, her eyes fixed on Cadance’s despondent posture. “Can you manage here on your own? The Ladies were planning to return home…”

“Go now. Be safe, my loves,” Chrysalis said, kissing Luna’s hand in goodbye as she remained there with Cadance; the two were soon left alone at the sound of a door slamming shut, the elegant queen there with a woman from whom she had stolen. How will I ever explain this? She bemoaned silently.

“So what are you going to do to me now?” Cadance hiccupped, voice still thick with the tears that had been shed.

“I’m going to see you get some rest,” Chrysalis answered gently, giving those flawless hands a tender squeeze. “Wait here, I promise I’ll be back soon.”

Cadance looked as though she hardly had the will or strength to defy the command, Chrysalis swiftly departing for her private stores where her most potent tonics awaited her efforts. An item she and Twilight had worked upon together was the only thing that would do, a draught that induced a dreamless sleep in those who drank of its contents. For once so clearly distressed as Cadance, its necessity would never be more obvious. Even for her own sake, Chrysalis couldn’t bear to see the beautiful princess in such a state.

“It looks like poison,” Cadance mumbled as the dark queen pressed the glass into her limp grasp.

“It will help you rest,” Chrysalis whispered. “Please, take it. Do not continue suffering.”

Cadance wasn’t quite willing, but she eventually complied and took a few tentative sips of the draught. “It tastes like wine,” she remarked before returning to finish off the remaining dregs.

“Rest here tonight. I’ll keep watch for you.” It was not like she could let herself do otherwise; Chrysalis remained there by Cadance’s side, watching as those first few yawns began to take permanent presence on her lustrous face. A slow descent to the awaiting pillow eventually came, Chrysalis there to shush and shoo away whatever sounds and sights of distress that still came. She tended to this beautiful woman, saw that she remained closer to peace then despair. And as Cadance at last faded off into a dreamless land, she began to wonder how she would even begin to explain the love she held for this woman- and how she had come to claim it in the first place.

Jeweled lips. They were all she could see when she allowed her eyes to open, so little else she could find strength to focus upon; those deep red hues that were somehow natural, a depth of color that begged for her own mouth to find them in a kiss. Chrysalis despised herself for the feeling, knowing how it had gotten there. It had been an accident, an unintentional thing. She hadn’t ever meant to feel something for this beautiful woman so deeply, yet there it sat in her heart and keeping her feelings sunken to the depths like a stone in water.

Chrysalis had spent half the night forcing herself not to partake of a stolen embrace, and the other half chiding herself for wanting to do so. She looked at Cadance as though this resplendent being were her own bride. It was all her heart could take to know that she wasn’t.

Wherever this beautiful woman’s husband had disappeared to was beyond her knowledge or ability to fathom, and the reason behind it just as much a mystery. Chrysalis had seduced others before, made them shudder in her absence; never had one gone so far as to try and seek her out once again, more often able to adjust to the dull ache that had been left by her thieving. She had sapped away love before and eaten it as a delicacy, but never had one gone to seek her out. With the knowledge of the stolen love in her heart, the regal queen began to wonder if something similar had occurred in the poor man’s heart. Had he gone to seek out his stolen love- or had he come to love Chrysalis instead of the woman who had fought for him? If the latter was the case, then she truly needed to find Shining Armor for the sole purpose of slapping some sense into him. What sort of person could possibly hope to turn away from sweet Cadance?

I’ll have to tell her the truth. And sooner rather than later, Chrysalis counseled herself, though the mere thought of the action tied her stomach in knots. She needs to understand what happened.

A slow, quiet murmur of a wearied voice from the depths of the covers; Cadance was rejoining the waking world and letting her lovely eyes gaze blearily upon the room around her. That gaze, softened by exhaustion, crept slowly about before settling on Chrysalis and giving the smallest start of recognition. “I didn’t dream you,” Cadance mumbled.

“You didn’t,” Chrysalis said, leaning over to that soft face and brushing away stray hairs from her eyes by little more than instinct. She hadn’t meant to do it, common sense saying she shouldn’t have dared. It was all she could do to resist giving a kiss instead.

“Am I your prisoner now?”

“You are my guest,” Chrysalis replied, wishing she could call her ‘Lover’ instead. “A shower awaits you if you wish one.”

Cadance peered at Chrysalis in confusion, born by a slow rise from slumber and the oddity of her current predicament. If the offer was going to be took, it certainly would not be done without suspicion. “Is this a trick?”

“No. It’s not.” Chrysalis rose from her place on the bedside and gave a small bow to the newest denizen of her heart. “I’ll see if breakfast is ready. If you would like any…”

Cadance was still clearly befuddled but did manage a nod, her eyes fixed on the dark queen as she made for the door and departed. The whole thing was still too strange, especially for one who had only just awoken.

“I wondered where you were last night.” Chrysalis’ trip down the halls came to a quick halt as she heard the ringing voice of Rarity from behind her, the elegant seamstress carrying her weekend bag across her shoulder. “Did you stay with Cadance all night, darling?”

“I’m sorry if you waited in my absence,” Chrysalis replied, reaching out to kiss her lady’s hand. “She was in distress, I could not bear to leave her.”

Rarity gave her beloved an eyeing look. “And no other reason in particular?”

The beautiful woman again displayed her skill at people and politics. “Another time, and I will explain,” Chrysalis answered. “I hardly grasp it entirely myself. For now, she will remain here until Twilight and Luna return.”

“Would you like me to remain with you, then?” the fashionista inquired. “I know the girls and I were looking to head home today, but if you need me to stay longer, I’d be glad to help.”

Chrysalis smiled, but shook her head. “You have your work to attend to, don’t you?” she said. “A few new dresses for the girls, a pair of orders to complete?”

“I can delay if I must, I’m sure Miss Cheerilee would understand.”

“And you’d punish yourself for being late, if I had to guess,” Chrysalis said. “Go home, Rarity; get your work done, I can look after Cadance on my own.”

“And you’re sure you don’t want me to stay back?”

“I’ll manage. I can just follow your example, can’t I?”

Rarity gave a small sigh and nodded, at last relenting in her desire to aid her queen. “If you insist, darling. Call for me if you need anything, or if dear Luna and Twilight make it back.”

“I most certainly will. Give the girls love for me when you all go, I’ll likely be busy,” Chrysalis said, leaning in to find her lady’s soft lips, their union of form a gently romantic one as Rarity swooned in her beloved’s arms. Perhaps their kiss lasted longer than need be, but neither felt an urgency to see it end; Chrysalis wanted comfort, and her beautiful beloved was happy to give it.

A retreat from glued lips and Rarity left the regal woman’s arms. “I’ll see you next weekend, darling.” A longing smile and a bright spark in those eyes spoke to the anticipation of when they would be united again, soon gone as the seamstress departed for her faraway home.

Chrysalis’s smile turned bittersweet, always despising the moments her beloved Ladies had to depart from her presence. The days in their absence were long, and this one seemed perfectly primed to be worse than any of the others. If only, if only they could simply remain with her and they at last live together under one roof! A happy hotbed of love and romance that never had to end, just she and her beloved beauties, all eight of them-

Not eight; seven. Her mind had counted Cadance among her Ladies without thinking, already considering her one of their number. She hadn’t meant to do that, nor should she mean to again- even if she so desperately wanted to. To have Cadance with her for good was something her heart positively ached for, a longing so deep that it was ravenous. She knew she shouldn’t love Cadance with such fierceness, a depth of knowledge behind it that wasn’t of her own making. It wasn’t fair that she had to feel such things so strongly; her love for Cadance should have been crafted by her own heart instead of another’s.

Her return to Cadance’s quarters took time, arms burdened by the weight of a meal atop its serving tray. A wave of a finger and a small part of Chrysalis’ might seeped out like a tendril to open the door before her, striding through just in time to see Cadance emerge from beyond the bathroom threshold, freshly cleaned and adorned in a soft white bathrobe. The simplicity of her appearance, unencumbered by trappings or regality, was enough to make the poor woman’s heart swell. Forget the plates that lay in her hands, this pretty woman was the real snack!

“You… actually meant a real breakfast,” Cadance remarked as her hostess set the tray of morning delicacies atop the nearby table. “T- thank you.”

“There’s strawberry jam, if you want any,” Chrysalis said, wishing she didn’t know that preference so naturally. “And- some jasmine oolong, too. Just in case you wanted something hot.”

The already surprised expression of Cadance became even more so as she looked upon the tray and found her assorted favorites there for her to feast upon, every item presented in just the way she always liked it. “It looks wonderful,” she said softly, easing into her chair and taking her morning meal in hand. “I’m… amazed, really. I would never have guessed.”

“Pinkie’s influence on the kitchens has been wonderful,” Chrysalis said. “I’ve never eaten better.”

“Pinkie? You mean Pinkie Pie, Twilight’s friend.” Cadance’s expression of confusion returned to rest upon her lovely features once more at the unexpected mention of such a person. “What does she have to do with this place?”

Chrysalis actually felt a little embarrassed to admit it, now that she was put under the spotlight. She hoped it wouldn’t ruin her chances of- No, wrong mindset. You’ll need to tell her the truth. “She is… my chef. And a lover,” she said. “Pinkie’s really quite lovely, we all adore her.”

“… And who is we?”

Chrysalis paused mid-bite. “Myself. And my children, who she dotes on. And the other girls, too.”

Cadance now was left completely bewildered. “The other girls?”

“Umm… Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow, Rarity, Applejack, and Luna?”

Cadance had ceased all her actions, drink and food left untouched as she stared at the woman across from her, the tumult of emotional responses leaving her temporarily dumbstruck. Should she be frightened? Amazed? Something else entirely? She couldn’t have ever expected any scenario more unusual, especially from one she had once considered so callous and unloving. “What have you done?” she asked, yet bearing no malice within her words. “Is this where you’ve been since- since…”

The besotted queen couldn’t quite rid herself of the shades of pink that came to rest on her cheeks. “I- well, we… we may have started being part of a very large- umm, polyamorous relationship. With one another.”

Cadance gawked. One could have heard a pin drop.

“It’s been quite wonderful,” Chrysalis added, hoping she could make it sound less strange than it seemed. “We do love each other deeply.”

“… What are you doing here in Canterlot, really?”

“As of right now?”

“If that gives the best answer,” Cadance replied.

“Waiting for the weekend, as usual,” Chrysalis answered. “The girls can’t stay with me full time, so we can only be together for a few days. I hate it.”

Cadance opened her mouth to speak, only to let forth a wisp of a sigh, staring about the room for some hopes of understanding as to the strangeness of this unusual world she had entered. “I think I need an explanation,” she said weakly.

“I’d be happy to give it.”

Cadance was, by Chrysalis’ measure, the perfect listener. Yes, she would occasionally interrupt the tale to make a query or request clarification, but each question or remark that came from her wonderful lips was perfectly timed, or spurring her hostess to explain further. Chrysalis’ story of descent into love, her newfound life away from conquest was a tale that was happily told; rather than any great lengths of time spent upon her own self, the darkened queen instead regaled countless threads of small snippets of her life. Words better spent on the loving gestures of her Ladies rather than herself, eager to tell Cadance of the wonderful romance she now dwelled within. Chrysalis, despite her guilty conscience pleading with her to do otherwise, knew she was trying to make this world seem so appealing. She wanted Cadance to adore it to, to want to enter in and join herself with Chrysalis, to want to love her and be loved in return by so many beautiful women who couldn’t possibly hope to resist someone so beautiful and sweet and lovely-

“Are you OK?” Cadance’s words cut through the delirium of internal monologue, Chrysalis roused from her inner space to find the Princess of Love staring at her with mild concern. “You look like you have something on your mind.”

An obvious truth, the details of which she didn’t exactly want to divulge just yet. “My apologies, I let myself become distracted,” Chrysalis said, taking a sip of tea to help brush the moment aside. “I was just thinking of something, that is all.”

Cadance continued to scrutinize as though she was skeptical, but let her suspicions remain unspoken. “I never would have expected it of you,” she said at last. “You were one I always thought could never change, and yet… well, here you are.”

“I am glad I have changed,” was Chrysalis’ reply. “Life is better this way. Their lives are better this way. What more could I hope to ask for, save for it to be permanent?”

“When will the first of your children leave the nest?” Cadance asked.

“Soon. It would be sooner, but I will delay until after Twilight and Luna return as a precaution. And then… the nest will start to empty, save for the few that will remain here.”

Cadance gave a small smile. “You sound like you think you’ll be lonely.”

A quick laugh in return. “I have come to… crave company. Since the girls can’t be here full time, I find the halls a little too empty. And the bedroom much of the same.”

It was Cadance’s turn to laugh now, though hers a more sorrowful sound than anything of mirth. “I… definitely know how that feels,” she said. “I’m sorry, Chrysalis. It is an awful feeling.”

The weight of her guilt only increased, weighing down her spirit even further. Chrysalis so desperately wanted to make that loneliness disappear, but could only allow herself to reach out and give Cadance’s hand a small squeeze in sympathy. “I’m truly sorry, too,” she whispered. “I never meant for this to happen to you, I promise.”

The great woman of love didn’t retract her hand, but her sorrow still remained in those lovely eyes. “I don’t even know if he’ll care about me again,” Cadance said in a voice so dull. “If Twilight and Luna find him alive, and he just focuses on you…” Eyes welded shut, trying to block out the tears of pain before they came to life.

“He won’t. Who could hope to not love you?” Chrysalis said, knowing just how fiercely she meant it. “You’re a fairytale princess.”

The poisonous grief that had marred her visage came to a standstill at the words, Cadance turning to gaze curiously at her companion. “My husband used to call me that,” she said. “I- I never thought I’d hear someone say it again.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s OK. You didn’t know.” The reply was instant, and the strangeness of her expression was something Chrysalis couldn’t quite read. “So… I guess I’m going to be thrown into a dungeon now, hanging by chains until I’m rescued?”

“You are here as my guest, for as long as you wish,” Chrysalis said, meaning every word and hoping for so much more. “May you consider my home as though it were your own.”

Cadance gave a small little nod, a hesitant smile starting to form on her jeweled lips. “Can you show me around?” she asked. “I’ve never seen a reformed Changeling’s nest before.”

A brilliant smile, and she took her beautiful guest by the arm as they rose from their place at the table in pursuit of new scenery. “Why, I’d be delighted to show you.”

The days in between weekends were never pleasant. For one so sexually driven as Chrysalis, an absence of the act’s presence had never been something she could endure easily. Now that such carnal desire was now so deeply interwoven with intentional affection, her empty nights were something horrific. The bed felt so empty without someone beside her in it, no warmth or comfort of loving presence that she relished. Perhaps she was a bit silly in that regard, but there was hardly a person who would challenge her on the matter; she loved her Ladies, and anyone who didn’t agree could go stuff it.

This first absence could easily have been the worst she’d known yet. With little activity or tasks to accomplish, simply waiting for the return of her rescue party could have been unbearable boredom, hours ticking by like their own little eternity before she finally cracked. But Chrysalis instead found herself occupied with something new, and soon discovered that her loneliness was not quite so palpable any longer.

Cadance’s company was a welcome intrusion into her normal days of waiting. Able to speak to her hostess freely, the two royals found themselves at ease in each other’s presence now that old hostilities had been able to evaporate. Gone were their days of opposition and fury that felt like another lifetime, now replaced by a peaceful quiet of one in mourning and the silently loving spirit who tended to her. Chrysalis’ weekday went along splendidly because of Cadance, a personal duty giving her reason to arise from an empty bed and act in purpose that would have instead been a dreary emptiness. One could not feel bored when she needed to meet the needs of her glorious guest; loneliness was an afterthought when she had an equal with whom to speak. Cadance’s mood continued to be fretful and sorrowful, but Chrysalis’ presence was a salve to her worries: the queen had come to aid the fair lady.

“How did your children first react when you started bringing the girls to your bedroom?” Cadance asked of Chrysalis, their evenings spent in the pleasant light of a fireplace that crackled in the dark queen’s study. “Since you feed on love. I mean, it must have been weird for you to suddenly be so exclusive.”

It had become their little habit to enjoy the privacy of the study whenever evening came about. The cooler weather of the late year turned even the well-maintained halls of the nightclub into frostier places come nightfall, and the warmth of the flames in the grate brought them together for both relief and company. Chrysalis took the excuse with immediacy, eager to have reasons to be beside her secret love. Even if she could not yet say anything regarding her personal feelings, at least she could spend time with the romantic beauty.

“The initial reception was… lukewarm, at best,” Chrysalis admitted, recalling the events that had transpired shortly after Rarity’s entry into the fold. “The love that filtered through the nest was strong, but some only began to hunger all the more deeply. A spare few even wished to have the ladies for themselves- by force, if necessary.”

“They hardly seem like a violent lot nowadays,” Cadance remarked. “They’ve been lovely to me since I’ve arrived. What changed them so?”

“Pinkie Pie, of course. Won them over in an instant, they love her more than they ever did their mother.”

“And how did she steal so many hearts so easily?”

Chrysalis grinned. “Danced a striptease for them. She’s got a habit of walking around the nightclub naked.”

Cadance gave a peal of shocked laughter, perhaps her mind conjuring images of the frizzy-haired woman flouncing about the nightclub halls in her birthday suit. “Oh my goodness, the nerve! I remember Twilight saying she was rather self-conscious about her body, I never would have imagined.”

“Pinkie merely needed a… fresh perspective.” Chrysalis’ grin grew sultry. “Twilight and I both agree she’s got perfect thighs. You could easily die happy between them.”

Cadance continued to chuckle, shaking her head as more and more stories came forth regarding the interwoven tales that had brought the numerous women together. “I just… never would have imagined this,” she said. “You not wanting to kill me is shocking enough, but knowing that Twilight and the others- and even Luna, too- I never would have thought such a thing would ever happen.”

“I have Fluttershy to thank for that. Her spark gave birth to a flame, and now together we all smolder. I only wish they didn’t have to leave at the end of every weekend.”

Cadance eyed her companion with mischief. “A bit lonely without them, are we?” she teased. “Missing your cuddle buddies?”

“Oh hush. I’m saucier than that.”

“Please. You love their company in every conceivable way, don’t try to lie to me,” Cadance crowed. “I bet you try to steal kisses all the time- what’s the longest you’ve ever made out with any of the girls?”

It was a very personal question, even if the intent was only to induce more mockery. Chrysalis felt half-minded that she was too proud to answer, and the other half far too embarrassed to even want to admit the truth. So of course it slipped out in a stumbling mess all because of the one who asked. “I- it was probably with Rarity. She’s the most romantic one.”

Cadance’s eyes were now gleaming slits. “And for how long..?”

She could remember that peaceful period a little too well, all things considered. “… Maybe for about an hour. Or two.”

Cadance smiled in smug satisfaction and gave a snort of laughter. “Softie.”

Now that was an insult. “Excuse me, I am not.”

“You’re a softie now, Chrysalis,” Cadance insisted. “The girls have you all buttered up, and I bet you treat them like royalty whenever you can. You’re just a big, soft, romantic.”

“I am a warrior queen even still,” Chrysalis said sharply. “I am not soft.”

Cadance stuck out her tongue in defiance. “Fine. But tomorrow’s Friday, and the girls will be in tomorrow. I bet you’ll melt into someone’s arms the moment they arrive.”

Chrysalis wanted to fight back against that, but she also knew it would have been a flat-out lie. She was hardly able to stomach the wait for the Ladies to be in her arms once again, even if they were not going to be fully whole this weekend. She wished for Rarity’s sensuous tonguework, Pinkie’s brilliant body, Rainbow’s ferocity, Applejack’s loving passion, and Fluttershy’s soothing presence. With all the tension that filled her body now, unable to kiss and ravish the beauteous form that sat beside her now, she knew that her bedchambers were sure to be lively. I rather wish he had just ditched her for good instead of disappearing. Gods, I’d love to be her rescuer from this life.

The weekends within the nightclub were typically rowdy due to their continued separation, but the regal woman’s week-long tension escalated her time with her Ladies to new heights, the cacophony of ecstasy enough to make even the hardiest of her children sway as they walked; drunknenness on love was not a common thing for them in recent days, but whatever their mother was up to had its effects of potency upon them. Chrysalis’ own distress, as well as her longing, were not going to let her simply be a spectator or to act gently. Poor Rarity, the first to arrive, had certainly been eager- but not even she had been fully prepared to withstand her beloved’s romantic onslaught right when she entered the door. But to be fair, neither was anyone else.

Saturday evening came to pass and the camaraderie between the two romantically inclined royals had been temporarily brought to a halt by Chrysalis’ amorous intentions with her beloveds, late night conversations by the fireside extinguished as Cadance instead hid herself away from company while the great queen reveled in her happiness. Chrysalis, trying her best not to think of the beautiful woman in such a manner, forced herself to be occupied; a task made more difficult when one of her own decided to intrude on the matter.

“So how is she, Chrissy?” Rainbow asked of her, the many beauteous women taking pause to relax in private chambers after a well-crafted meal by Pinkie. “I’m surprised she’s not in here with us, honestly. You know, Princess of Love and all that.”

Chrysalis had all but forced Cadance out of heart and mind for the moment. “I’m sorry?”

“Cadance. Come on, how’s she feel? Do I compare? I know I fell out against Luna, but I gotta know,” Rainbow asked.

“I haven’t even touched her,” Chrysalis protested. “Rainbow, my love!”

Rainbow Dash, ever the most brazen of their number, was left nonplussed. “Wait, you haven’t even tried? The hell for? I thought you’d be stripping her down the moment we left, the way you were looking at her. What gives?”

“Rainbow…” Fluttershy reached out from her place in Applejack’s lap and brought her lovely companion to silence with a single wave of her hand. “Chrissy’s wanting to be very gentle with Cadance, she’s not here for anything but to see if Twilight and Luna return with her husband.”

“He ditched her, right? Why can’t we help her get over it? Come on, that body!”

“Because she still wants her husband, of course,” the sweet woman chided. “Wouldn’t you be the same if it were one of us?”

Rainbow was hardly romantic in the slightest. Of course her pouting turned a flush-faced red and she went silent, trying to avoid anyone’s eye.

“Rainbow, my proud darling,” Rarity said, smirking as she leaned over and kissed the prismatic woman lovingly on the cheek. “Someday, I will bring out the gentle-hearted woman in you.”

“I don’t do gentle,” Rainbow protested.

“I know you don’t, so we’re going to practice,” Rarity said, pausing as she turned to a clearly-occupied Chrysalis. “How is Cadance, Chrissy? Really?”

“She is… sorrowful,” Chrysalis answered, her mind now unable to be anywhere but occupied about her poor love’s spirits. “She has been in good cheer for a bit, but she still- well, struggles. Loneliness is painful for her, I believe.”

“Maybe you could check in to see how she’s doing,” Fluttershy suggested. “I’m sure she wouldn’t mind someone to talk to.”

Chrysalis wanted to do far more than talk, even if she was not supposed to. “I believe she wishes for solitude tonight.”

“Hmm… maybe you should just check in and make sure.” Fluttershy’s sweet face was softly lit by warmth, a beauty impossible to resist or deny. It was of little surprise that Chrysalis complied to her gentlehearted love’s wishes and departed her bedchambers, already beginning to struggle as she heard Rarity shuffle herself about in her place on the bed-

“Now Rainbow, we’ll try this for a little bit. I want you to kiss me… just gently, darling-”

Chrysalis’ heart began to beat a little faster as her imagination began to spin. Oh please.

Just where she had seen her last, Chrysalis slipped into her private study and found Cadance there in her seat, occupied with one of Twilight’s many gifted books that had come to rest on the nearby shelf. She was such a comfortable sight, body draped in a blanket as the coolness of the night was warded away by the strength of firelight. She wanted so desperately to intrude, to lean that book down and give those jeweled lips a surprise kiss- but she just couldn’t.

As the door closed, Cadance paused in her ruminations and looked up to set eyes on her hostess. “Good evening,” she said in a voice far too dull. “I hope I don’t have you away from your bevy of beauties just to worry about little old me. I’d hate to be a bedroom party-pooper.”

“I’m happy to worry about you,” Chrysalis said softly, “and so are the girls. We’re all wishing the best for you.”

“I’ll be alright. No matter what end, really,” Cadance said, staring into the fire and letting its light dance in her eyes. “I’m sorry if I’m a wet blanket.”

“Of course you’re not. Is something the matter?”

Cadance gave a wry grin. “I’m… a little jealous of your right now- a lot jealous, really.”

Then just ask to join in! “What for?”

A small giggle, as though embarrassed. “You girls weren’t exactly quiet last night, you know. Sounds like that… they make me happy. It means the relationship is healthy.” Cadance paused. “I just wish I’d had it for myself. For at least a little while, right after we got married- instead of just this… hunger. To belong to someone, to feel safe. Just to feel loved!” Her words became so bitter, awaiting the mark that would come from tears. “You’re not even doing anything wrong, I just want to have a pathetic little pity-party… and I just can’t make myself feel anything different.”

“It will come to an end, Cadance,” Chrysalis insisted, taking hold of her secret love and giving what encouragement she could. “He’ll come back- my Ravens will find him, they always have. And when he does, he’ll love you in full. I’m sure.” Even if all the love he held for you is now in me. I’ll give it back, make him love you again, because I just need to see you happy again.

Beautiful eyes left so baleful turned to stare into that potent green gaze. “And if they don’t find him? If he still won’t love me?”

If he didn’t love her? Chrysalis would likely slap him silly for making such a boneheaded decision. But what she would do after was so difficult to figure out, especially when she so deeply knew what she wanted instead… “Then I’ll do whatever I can to help,” she said finally, “and make your next stage in life a happy one.” They held to one another for a little while longer, Cadance’s sorrowful expression slowly starting to soften and turn warm as she beheld Chrysalis’ continued comfort. The empty space between them was small, a frail thing that could be easily broken by even the slightest movement-

A joyous peal of a familiar voice, yet in a tone none had ever heard before. Rainbow Dash had moaned before, but that was an extra-loud coo; Chrysalis darted bolt upright and felt her stomach turn upside-down as the note inflamed her senses. What on earth were the girls doing to make her that weak?

Cadance slowly relinquished her own grasp of her companion, studying the now-hungering expression of the beautiful queen and trying to suppress a grin. “I think that was your siren song,” she remarked. “Maybe you should go and enjoy yourself?”

She so desperately wanted to, but wanted Cadance to come along with her even more. Maybe, just maybe- “I’d hate to see you be lonely-”

“I’m better now, thanks to you,” Cadance interjected. “Go enjoy yourself, for my sake. Make love.”

Chrysalis heard Rainbow’s next cry and was gone in a flash, even if part of her heart still remained. She had never known how willing she could be to share her love before now.

The weekend eventually passed in its usual sensuous frivolity, yet Twilight and Luna’s search team did not return. One week passed- then one week became two. Two became four; a month passed with no word, no sound, not even a hint of their whereabouts. To a particularly concerned queen who wanted dearly to satisfy Cadance and make love to her faraway ladies, their absence was beginning to gnaw at her heart like a wound. She needed them to be safe, and she needed Cadance’s broken spirit to be tended.

“You’re worried for them,” Cadance said. “It’s fine to be that way, but you don’t need to be. You haven’t known them as long as I have, and you’ve only really known them in this setting. Twilight and Luna, they’re strong people. There’s nothing in this world that could hope to hurt them.”

“I just want them back safely,” Chrysalis fretted as she paced about her study. “All of this is my fault no matter which way you look at it, I just- if only they were here with me.”

“They will be. And soon,” Cadance soothed. “And I’m sure they’ll be glad to spend their evening with you no matter how tired they are.”

“Should I even try, Cadance?” Chrysalis asked. “If they’ve been gone that long, surely they’ll just want to rest.”

The beautiful Princess of Love pondered the thought. “Perhaps Twilight might, since she’s not quite as used to life on the lam- but offer. Luna, however, I doubt. She’ll be ready no matter what she endures. Prepare your body.”

“Well-prepared. And eager,” Chrysalis said with a shudder. “Now if only…”

“If only they’d show up?”

Chrysalis said nothing, continuing to stare into the firelight as she sat close beside Cadance and tried not to let her sultry thoughts pour over that magnificent body. If only she could share herself with that exquisite princess and rid herself of the tension, but even that was not correct: Cadance deserved a glorious bout of lovemaking, real and warm and tangible, not a sloppy mess of riddled emotions that were barely under restraint. It was a horrid struggle to know that she was the one who wished to bring it about.

A knock on the door came in and alerted their senses, its rhythm rapid and forceful. Before Chrysalis could even bid her new guest to enter, the door opened wide and the energized face of Seniya broke through to set eyes upon her royal mother. “Your Majesty-”

Her heart soared and her stomach twisted upon itself in the matter of an instant. “Are they here?”

“They’ve just arrived, Your Majesty. Lady Rarity is attending them now and bade me to inform you.”

“Have them brought to my chambers. Give them anything they ask for!” Chrysalis ordered, leaping to her feet and stretching out her hand for Cadance to take. “With me, quickly now.” Already her heart was in overdrive, pounding at the thought of how she would restore a marriage of one she herself adored. How does one go about putting love back in its place? She still didn’t even know how she had claimed it from him! If Shining was even able to take his stolen love back and be himself once more, what was she going to do herself? She desperately wanted Cadance to stay, but the restoration of this marriage was what would make her happiest-

Their mood of electric excitement that had sparked was turned dim the moment they laid eyes upon their long-awaited search party, Chrysalis feeling a deep shudder run through her secret love. There before them, seated and attended to by a somber Rarity, were Luna and Twilight alone- shoulders slumped, heads bowed, and most definitely not accompanied by a rescued Shining Armor. Their clothes bore marks of long and arduous travel, stained and tattered from their roaming in the wild places of the world. Not a word of greeting was given by either group, merely a strong silence that permeated the air and held them down.

Rarity paused in her duties and turned to give recognition of her beloved’s arrival, a small shake of her head that said everything. Leaving a pitcher of water on a nearby table, she rose from her place beside the wearied women and made to leave, only stopping to give Cadance’s arm a small squeeze in sympathy before departing to let the somber reunion see its completion.

Chrysalis knew she would have to be the one to initiate this, and somehow hold her composure throughout. “My ladies,” she said, conjuring a pair of chairs for Cadance and herself. “How are you?”

“Tired,” Twilight answered in a croak of a voice, at last raising her head to lay eyes upon her love. Chrysalis’ heart turned at the sight of her, her sharp and graceful features now battered and worn by her time in the wastes, bearing an expression of great tumult. “It is good to see you, but…”

Chrysalis placed a kiss on her forehead in the hopes of granting some comfort. “I’m glad to see you both,” she said. “Tell me what happened. Everything.”

“Shining,” Cadance said, her voice already weak and ready to crack, “he’s- he’s dead, isn’t he?”

Neither woman was able to look the pleading beauty in the eye, choosing to focus their senses upon their beloved queen instead. “This will not be pleasant,” Luna began, clearly exhausted yet bearing a stronger voice than her studious girlfriend. “I’m not sure how to say it all.”

“Then just do your best.”

Luna took a long, slow breath. “He’s still alive. We actually found him.”

A lightning bolt to the heart. “What? Then where is he? What happened to him, why is he not with you? Why does he still abandon her?” She felt heartbroken and furious for her companion, enraged that someone would even dare to think of leaving someone so perfect and lovely.

“Because he’s- he’s-” Twilight looked ready to either scream or cry, her pent-up emotions boiling and eager to burst. “He’s not even in Equestria anymore. We went westward, across the sea to find him. It was honestly just sheer luck that we found him when we did.”

“Amaria. A port city that heads into the Arabians. If you’re heading anywhere on the water heading westward, it’s where you have to pass through,” Luna added. “We’d heard rumors that he had gone seafaring in the hopes of finding you, Chrissy. If he was traveling abroad, any sailing route would eventually take him back there. So, we waited.”

“And you found him…” Cadance said.

A solitary nod in reply. “He’d been working as a chief bosun for the merchant marine. When we found him, he was… intoxicated. And trying to be more so,” Luna continued. “We tried to sober him up and it seemed to work for a time, but he just- he didn’t recognized either of us. Not even his own sister.”

“He was lying. He has to be!” Twilight said hotly, tears burning down her cheeks and stinging as they fell. “He knew it was me, he just was too scared to say so- or he was-”

As Twilight threatened to burst, Luna lay her hand atop her leg and gave her the will to cool the flood of fiery emotions, the gentle touch a soothing one. “He was not the man we once knew,” the moonlight princess said gently. “There was no light in his eyes. His voice as gray as stone, and just as heavy. It was as if all hope of a good and decent life had been robbed from him in the time he had been gone. Even when we told him that you had sent us out to find him, not even a flicker could be seen.” A sigh, sorrowful and weighted, escaped from her sunburnt lips. “Perhaps it would have been better if he had died out there, a single moment to end his suffering. Now he dies daily until mortality claims him; a dead soul in a human casket.”

“Where… where did he go from there?” Cadance asked, pushed to a grief so strong that not even tears seemed adequate for her now. “How was he when you saw him last?”

“He set aboard his ship and left, heading towards the sunset,” Luna answered. “Wherever they call him now is anyone’s guess… I am so sorry, Cadance. But he has gone.”

The aura of grief tugged at each of them, begging for them to give release and lose themselves in a maelstrom. Twilight continued to weep silently, tears still flickering down her face despite Luna’s continued caress. The world in which the four women dwelled was painfully quiet, difficult to bear as the grievous reality simply beat them into submission. There was to be no rescue, no redemption, no happy reunion that would see Cadance’s spirit restored. Chrysalis’ theft, so silently performed that not even she had known of its transpiration, had undone an entire life and hurt several more.

Cadance rose from her place beside Chrysalis, releasing her hand from the regal woman’s grip. Like a statue she moved to bend down next to Luna and Twilight, softly placing a kiss on each cheek as reward for their long trial. “Thank you. So much,” she whispered. “I’ll never forget what you did for me.” Her grief still so strong, yet a regality about her that put her companions in awe as she strode forth from Chrysalis’ bedchambers to destinations unknown so as to mourn in solitude.

Chrysalis knew where her heart wanted her to be, still burdened by a knowledge she had no wish to share. “Bathe yourselves. Eat,” she commanded to her beloveds. “And then rest. I will tell the others you are not to be disturbed tonight.” As she received a nod in reply so did she depart herself, torn apart by the weight of her unwitting transgression- and the longing that spurred her to go and be comfort instead. It was deep into the night when she finally found herself able to choose a course of action. As the deep night fell upon the halls of her home, Chrysalis roamed through and saw light flickering through the underside of her study and she knew where Cadance had fled to. Perhaps she should wait till another night, let the beautiful woman she hungered for mourn her old life in peace- but the guilt that gnawed at her bones was terrible to endure, and loath was she to let it continue; the truth had to come out.

The woman she saw before her was strangely tranquil, hollowed out by sorrow that seemed eager to devour. Cadance stared unblinkingly into the firelight even as Chrysalis crept in to sit beside her, a partner in her mourning. She gave no recognition to the arrival of her companion even when the weight of the regal queen’s form settled on the loveseat beside her, still staring off into flames that spoke of images only she could see within the burning tongues.

“You should sleep,” Chrysalis said softly. “You’re tired enough already. The grief will feel worse if you’re exhausted.”

“I’m not even tired,” Cadance replied. “I wish I could say I was, but I’m just… wired. It’s like there’s a hunger in my heart that’s just eating me through. I’m supposed to be able to see it sated, I can help others do so- but now my husband’s gone. He’s not coming back, I am alone…” she turned to look upon her companion and stared with such desperate eyes. “I’m the Princess of Love… can I even be that if nobody loves me anymore?”

“You are loved,” Chrysalis assured her. “You will always be loved. It is inevitability wherever you go.”

Cadance gave a small snort of disbelief. “My own husband couldn’t bear me anymore-”

“He loved you-”

“But not anymore. He chose to stop.”

Chrysalis’s blood ran cold and she knew the time had come. A lump in her throat that set its will against her formed its strength, but she pressed against it. “I… he didn’t choose it.”

The beautiful princess became still at the remark. “What do you mean?”

Chrysalis loved those eyes; the softness that was in that gaze was lovely, beguiling. She wanted to be lost in their smolder, but their beauty was now a painful witness and she turned away. “I fed on that love, once,” she said. “I used it to slip my way in. Get close, and conquer. I never thought of it as anything other than a meal.” She started to struggle, the lump in her throat growing in size as she drew nearer to the truth. “I thought I’d only fed on it. Nothing more… but then you came here. And when I saw you, I was so starstruck- like I’d seen the woman of my dreams, and you said he was- he didn’t love you anymore because he couldn’t love anymore. Because I’d taken it from him, without even myself knowing it.”

Cadance was as stony-faced and rigid as a statue, eyes fixed wide as the agonizing revelation spilled forth from her partner’s lips. The truth was there before her, unexpected and all too potent.

“I love you, Cadance,” Chrysalis choked out, hating herself for saying it. “I never meant to steal his love for you, I swear I didn’t. But when he saw me, he was seeing you- and he gave it all to me. If I could give it back I would, I would make your world right-” The world about the splendid queen grew blurred and damp, a stinging in her eyes that could not hope to be the nearby flames. “I never meant for this to happen. I just want you to be happy; I want to love you, even if it’s not even love of my own making.” Her head sunk down into her hands and remained there, a once-burning world now turned dark as she retreated from the inevitable judgment that was to come. Even if the love she held wasn’t her own, she couldn’t bear to see Cadance’s pain and hatred- not even now.

Gentle hands came about her wrists and extracted Chrysalis from the darkness in her palms, her face slowly guided to find the deep color of Cadance’s eyes awaiting her. “Chrysalis, do you love me?”

“Yes,” Chrysalis wailed, heart wrenched by the truth that bit at her spirit as the tears at last began to spill forth. “I have ruined your life, robbed you of your love, and so deeply do I love you. I can do nothing else.”

Cadance held her fast, continuing to stare directly into Chrysalis’ eyes as though she saw the heartfelt grief of her pining suitor. “Then kiss me.”

Chrysalis felt her heart stop. “I- I can’t.”

“Kiss me, Chrissy,” Cadance said, a desperate hunger that only loneliness could bring alive upon her face. “Kiss me. Undress me. Make love to me, please. I don’t want to be alone tonight- or ever again.”

“But I’ve- I’m just-”

“I want you to love me, Chrissy,” Cadance whispered, closing the gap between them both until only a miniscule push would be all it took. “So… go ahead. Kiss me.”

So Chrysalis, unable to deny the request for which she longed, closed the gap and gifted Cadance’s lips with a kiss. And there upon her lips did she at last find a salve for her guilt-ridden spirit, a wind that fanned the flames of her burning heart and set her whole body afire. The sweetness of Cadance’s lips was greater than ever her dreams had hoped to match, so supple and dreamy against her own. How could she resist melting into them, to hold back a sigh and be glad at their feeling? She had longed for them, hungered for them, and now at last she was kissing the sweet Princess of Love for whom she had longed.

“Mmm…” Cadance relented from their union and pulled back, a smile now aglow on her features and swiftly washing her sorrow away. “It’s been so long since someone kissed me.”

“Was it a good one?” Chrysalis inquired.

“The best I’ve ever felt,” Cadance answered. “So… feel free to give me a better one.”

Chrysalis threw her arms about her new beloved and trapped them both in a smoldering, loving, wonderfully passionate kiss that saw their breath stolen away. Queen and Princess became lost in the touch and feel of one another, individual relief becoming one as the heartfelt act set their blood afire. No longer would there be hidden pining left unsatisfied, no more would there be a lonely night. As their kiss came to an end and was promptly met by a second and third and fourth, the coos that escaped from their muffled lips were more beautiful than birdsong; their long, dark night was at last coming alive.

If Chrysalis knew anything, it was that she would not let Cadance spend a moment tonight being anything but utterly selfish; she would be thoroughly loved, ravished in every conceivable manner before even the slightest thought could be made about her own welfare. Cadance’s lips had gone too long without a kiss and so she would see them satisfied again; the rest of her would be treated just the same. But one thing at a time– with delicacy, she pushed Cadance against the arm of the loveseat and leaned her back, now atop her body as the depth of their kiss continued to sink. She wanted to hear her cry out again, those sounds of happiness born by her actions. She gave a small nibble of her lip, a tiny pull in the hopes of enticement, and soon found hands gliding across her own form, reaching her head and threading their way through her hair.

“Mmm… give me your tongue, my darling,” Chrysalis whispered as she rose from their soft union.

Cadance, to her surprise, began to flush- and then opened her mouth wide to let that decadent morsel slither out for her lover’s caress, immediately ensnared by awaiting lips; her grief was swept away by the potent pleasure of the feeling, unable to withstand the force of something so lovely. Chrysalis felt wonderful on her tongue, a savant of the sensuous! Each fresh suckling of her slickened muscle was graced with a sweetness that was entirely new, a passionate gesture that made her heart sing. How long had it been since she had felt something like this, to be so utterly cared for, safe and secure in the loving embrace of another? Cadance sighed aloud and tightened her grip about Chrysalis’ form so as to strengthen their embrace. A small hint that there could be a new intensity, a heightening of her pleasure. If Chrysalis wanted to give, she would gladly receive.

The dark queen feasted upon that glorious tongue, wishing for nothing but to see it utterly worshipped; as Cadance’s continued sounds of contentment came forth so did she rejuvenate her efforts. A suckle brought a sigh- a flurry of tongue upon tongue would see a moan arise. She needed to hear more of this sweet symphony, to make Cadance sing aloud. She loved this kiss, could spend an eternity in its peaceful embrace, but her inflamed spirit needed to be soothed. One last press of lips upon that saliva-coated tongue she adored before at last bringing their union of lips to a slickened finish.

“Chrissy- you… you feel wonderful,” Cadance breathed, puffs of air starting to pass in gasps. “I’ve never felt a kiss so good.”

“I can do more than kiss, my fairytale princess,” Chrysalis said, leaving small, hurried pecks upon Cadance’s exposed neck so as to further entice. “Oh, so much more…”

She needed no eyes open to know what she must do next; as she continued to dote upon Cadance’s smooth skin so her hands went to a still-buttoned blouse, undoing their hold and pulling fabric aside. A little lower and she found her next prize, the feel of them already enough to make her quiver. One at a time did she kiss her sweet treasures, nipples caught by tender lips again and again- and then a pause as she let her tongue travel about the areola, only a pinprick of feeling as she made her mark. The motions were smooth and rhythmic, not yet volatile; Chrysalis needed to know her partner’s threshold before diving deeply. As she licked across the nipple in a flickering motion, she began to feel it harden under her care-

“More, Chrissy,” Cadance sighed, her voice threadbare and dreamy. “Don’t hold back, please! Just take me!”

It was the sign she’d been hoping for, and Chrysalis took one last moment to appreciate the flawless bust Cadance possessed: not quite as large as Fluttershy’s set of breasts, perhaps, but a wonderful shapeliness to them that seemed so perfect and appealing to the eye, the smoothness of her skin making them glow in the light of the fire. But these were not mere items to ogle, but objects worthy of worship, and so Chrysalis dove in with all her longing and fervor, sucking hard upon one while her hand tended to the other. A lather, a lap, a pinch; a tweak, a stroke, and all that she could hope to achieve- if it made Cadance’s body shiver, made her lips cry out praise, then she did it all the more. Chrysalis loved these breasts, the feel of them under her command. They were beautiful and perfect, made for her to adore and somehow made even better by whose they were.

“Aah…” Cadance’s rippling sigh of happiness coursed through the air and made Chrysalis’ heart melt, that sound so wonderfully joyous. “Chrissy, I- I need to tell you something…” A strange response, and it must have showed on the regal woman’s face for Cadance laughed at the sight of her; a beckoning finger and Chrysalis crawled her way up Cadance’s bare chest on a rope of kisses, only coming to a halt when she found lips and pressed them against hers once more. “I’m all wet, Chrissy. Can you help clean me up?”

Chrysalis smiled and the two women giggled, a small bout of kisses before this great crescendo. “Oh no, I couldn’t,” the great queen breathed. “I’d rather make a mess.” She slid off the loveseat and took hold of Cadance’s skirt, no restraint to be found as she tore it aside and left her bare. Not even a pair of underwear to hide her folds could be seen, as if she had anticipated the moment when she would not need them. Chrysalis could not keep the smile from her face as she beheld that sweet flower, dribbling from anticipation and the overcharged imagination that had been born by their time together. Even if every instinct was pleading for her to dive deep and ravish in a wild frenzy, she knew that the best choice would be to tease and touch a little more gently; Cadance deserved to enjoy this moment, not be instantly left breathless before she’d known what had happened.

“Oh!” As her lips pressed on the exterior of those luscious folds, the sound that came from her lover’s mouth were eager, already delighted. The long-deprived woman was already excited from something so simple; a few tonguestrokes along the depths of her thighs seemed the right choice and she felt Cadance writhe in her place, then a small pull of the labia to help inflame the nerves without overwhelming. Just the right idea. A long, deepened slide across fold and flesh, one last tempting movement before the plunge. Already Chrysalis’ mouth was soaked by Cadance’s juices, the mere actions she had taken enough to make her quake. Once she went in, it would like a marvel to her soul.

At last she delved in, though her greed kept restrained as she did so. These movements needed to be exploratory at first, mere lines within and without. Chrysalis found each fold and slithered her way through the lanes, wanting to know the feel and potency of each particular place; depth was good, but she wanted satisfaction. If Cadance was not pushed to her limit, then the release would not be worthy of her. And so the beautiful queen continued her lappings, small and slow as she felt her beloved rock against the pressure. A small trace against the upper edge? She felt a tremor. A slide from top to bottom made Cadance’s breath catch. And then a slow, deep dive into the very depths of her core, the long tongue of the wondrous royal plucking away until she heard a barely-muffled scream from somewhere above. It was the signal she’d waited for-

Before Cadance could hope to recover, Chrysalis at last attacked that sweet, soaked delicacy with all her might, diving deep as though she wished to drown. Deep within did her mouth lap away, lost to all thought save for the happy cries of sweet, sweet Cadance-

And then came the outpouring. An offering of unrelenting flow came upon Chrysalis and eager was she to receive, happily licking away as Cadance’s long-dormant force of orgasm came forth in an onslaught. She loved the sensation as she was left in its wake, the tired gasps of her beloved that had been brought about by her loving intent. It was a sweet, loving sound that she had craved to hear for so long, so devoid of the loneliness and want that had plagued Cadance since the day she had arrived.

As Chrysalis retreated from her new place of conquest, she rose and returned to her place beside Cadance and found her bare chest heaving with the receding force of the joyous wave. No longer was there that desperate loneliness, that hunger without ceasing; joy and contentment had settled there now, and hopefully were unwilling to relinquish their post. “I love you,” Chrysalis whispered.

Cadance laughed, joyful and empty of mockery as she suddenly whirled atop her new lover and planted a mouthwatering kiss upon sticky lips, clutching Chrysalis so tightly that she may well have squeezed her dry. “Thank you,” she said. “So much, just… thank you.”

“Please stay with me, Cadance,” Chrysalis begged, holding the lovely woman close so to force an answer. “Don’t go back, don’t leave. Make this place your home- with me, forever. Never let yourself be lonely again.”

“I can’t think of anything better.” The Princess of Love shone like a beacon in the dim darkness, her smile restored and more beautiful than ever before. “It seems I’ve got quite a few girls to get to know, too. I think I’ll need time to get acquainted.”

“They’ll be happy to give you all the time in the world,” Chrysalis said as she placed a kiss on her nose. “Welcome home.”

Jeez, that took forever. Sorry for it being so long.

... Yes, I know it's a quieter chapter than the others. There's a reason for that.
Enjoy, I guess. Keep reading.